Diabetic Eye Exams | Family Vision Center

Protect Your Eyes Against Diabetes

You may have heard that diabetes can affect your eyesight, but did you know that people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at a heightened risk for eye complications and vision loss?

Diabetes is common, affecting over 37 million Americans, and most people who have diabetes experience a diabetic eye condition at some point in their life. If you have diabetes, our team is here to help!

Our diabetic eye exams use advanced technology and modern techniques to give a complete view of your visual system, which helps us monitor your diabetes, detect issues early on, and prevent eye conditions from becoming more serious.

Book an appointment today to see how we can help.

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Diabetes & Your Eye Health

If you have diabetes, it can become difficult to manage your blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar gets too high and remains that way, it can cause swelling in the blood vessels in the back of your eyes.

When this happens, it can result in numerous eye conditions that can affect your eye health and vision.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetes-related eye condition and can even lead to the development of other eye conditions, including diabetic macular edema, cataracts, and open-angle glaucoma.

If you have diabetic retinopathy, you may not experience any symptoms in the early stages, making diabetic eye exams that much more important. As diabetic retinopathy develops, you may start to notice symptoms such as:

Blurred or fluctuating vision
Spots or floaters
Dark or “empty” areas in your vision

Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetic macular edema occurs when diabetes causes swelling and fluid buildup in the central part of your retina called the macula. If left untreated, diabetic macular edema can cause vision loss and blindness.

The macula is responsible for central vision. As this condition progresses you may experience symptoms such as:

Blurred or double vision
Decreased color vision
Spots or floaters

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye problems that occurs when pressure builds up inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain. If it’s not treated in time, glaucoma can cause irreversible vision loss.

There are 2 main types of glaucoma: open-angle glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma. The symptoms of glaucoma depend on the type and stage of your condition, but may include:

Blind spots
Tunnel vision
Headaches or eye pain
Nausea and vomiting
Blurred vision
Halos around lights
Eye redness

Cataracts

Cataracts are a normal part of aging, but people with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing this condition at an earlier stage of life. Cataracts are cloudy spots that develop on the normally clear lens in your eye, which changes how light enters the eye and causes vision problems.

If you have a cataract, you may experience a range of symptoms including:

Cloudy, blurry, or foggy vision
Sensitivity to light
Halos around lights
Frequency prescription changes
Double vision
Difficulty seeing at night
Changes in the way you see color

How We Diagnose Diabetic Eye Disease

At Family Vision Center, we’re committed to keeping our finger on the pulse of all the latest and greatest technology to diagnose, manage, and treat eye diseases, including those caused by diabetes.

Ocular Coherence Tomography

Ocular coherence tomography (OCT) is a type of imaging technology we can use to view your retina in great detail. The images taken with OCT can help us see the distinctive layers of the retina, which can help diagnose a wide range of eye conditions, including diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.

Fundus Photography

We use fundus photography to capture detailed images of your inner eye, including your retina and macula. These images help us assess changes in your eye health and spot early signs of diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema.